Over 50 Killed in Syrian Protests in the Past 24 Hours

It's been the deadliest day since the anti-government protests began in March. Al Jazeera has the specific breakdown of the death toll:

The UK-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said on Tuesday that 27 civilians were shot dead by security forces and 34 soldiers as well as 12 suspected army deserters were killed in clashes.

Most of the victims were killed in the southern flashpoint province of Deraa, the observatory said in a statement.

"Twenty-three people were shot dead by security forces posted along the road between the towns of Kherbet Ghazale and Hirak," the statement said.

At least four other civilians were killed by security force fire in the city of Homs, a protest hub in central Syria, the rights group reported.

Al Jazeera's number is around 77. The Guardian is estimating the death toll to be at 69, the AFP is reporting "over 70" dead, while TheNew York Times is a bit more conservative in their estimates as they state the death toll is "over 50." But all four news outlets agree that it's the deadliest since the Syrian protests began eight months ago. And the day comes on the heels of two major blows to Syrian President Bashar al-Assad's regime--the Arab league's suspension of Syria's membership, which The Times describes as a "unusually strong rebuke," and King Abdullah of Jordan joining the call for al-Assad to step down. The BBC notes, "The UN says more than 3,500 people have died since the start of the protests in March. The Syrian authorities blame the violence on armed gangs and militants."

This article is from the archive of our partner The Wire.

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